Khan still in demand to headline shows despite brutal knockout

Amir Khan will not be demoted to undercard status following the dramatic loss of his world title here in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Golden Boy, his US promoters, have not given up hope of a rematch with his knockout conqueror, even though there is no clause to that effect in the contract and Danny Garcia’s confrontational father has ruled out the possibility.

Richard Schaefer, Golden Boy chief executive, held out a range of opportunities, saying: ‘The rematch is the biggest fight out there in the welterweight division. but we will have to sit down with Team Garcia and Team Khan to see if they want to pursue that.

For Khan, that would probably mean an England homecoming in a domestic clash with someone like Kell Brook.

If the Garcias resist the rematch, Schaefer can see Khan ‘moving on up to welterweight where there are any number of potential opponents’.

He added: ‘Think Devon Alexander (if he beats Randall Bailey), Robert Guerrero, or even a rematch with Paulie Malignaggi, whom Amir has beaten, but who has looked good again and won another world title since stepping up to the 147lb division.

Rocked: Khan reacts to being ht by Garcia

‘That would draw a big crowd in the new arena in Brooklyn.

‘One thing for sure is that Amir will not become an undercard fighter. He’s too exciting for that. After this fight, who wouldn’t want to see him again? With Amir you never know what’s going to happen, even if you sometimes feel you have to protect him from himself.

‘Of course you want to win, but the TV networks are beginning to see that it can be better to lose a thriller than win a stinker. HBO have said they want him back.

Down and out: Khan is knocked down by Garcia

‘He’s not going to the back of the line just because he’s lost two fights. He’s a main event fighter.’

Khan, who was examined in hospital but then discharged, admitted: ‘I became complacent after winning the first two rounds so well. Looking back, I started carrying my hands too low and Danny took advantage with a fight-changing shot. I felt I could have carried on but I respect the referee’s decision to stop the fight.’

Garcia said: ‘I needed to go in with a great fighter to show how good I am. I’ve done that thanks to Khan. He still kept throwing punches that hurt when he was in trouble but I would have died rather than have to go back to the hard streets of Philadelphia.’